


Thicker Than Water

by howelleheir



Series: dark!Vulcan AU [1]
Category: Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Episode, Case Fic, Extremely Dubious Consent, Imprisonment, M/M, dark!Vulcan AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-23
Updated: 2017-01-23
Packaged: 2018-09-19 11:18:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9437939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/howelleheir/pseuds/howelleheir
Summary: The Enterprise is captured by The Vulcan-Romulan Alliance.[dark!Vulcan AU in which the Vulcan reform resulted in a more brutal logic]





	

**Author's Note:**

> Story will be in standard episode format, with a teaser and four acts.

  

“Captain, sensors have detected a distortion, bearing zero-eight-seven, mark four. Estimated intercept, two minutes.”

Jim glances over his shoulder to Spock’s station. “Cloaked vessel?” he asks, though he knows the answer.

“Very likely,” Spock replies. “The magnitude of distortion seems to indicate a small scout ship.”

A single scout shouldn’t pose much of a threat on its own, but Jim is struck by a sense of foreboding. Those reports circulating throughout the Federation -- unmanned scouts luring Federation vessels into an ambush -- are at the forefront of his mind, unverified though they are. The _Enterprise_ is the Federation’s queen, and Jim doesn’t dare risk her to strike at a pawn.

“Alright, Mr. Sulu,” he says decisively. “Change course and increase speed to avoid intercept. Let’s not take any chances.”

“Aye, sir.”

The bridge crew watch their stations in tense silence. A minute passes. Two minutes. The cloaking distortion passes out of range, and the bridge heaves a collective sigh of relief.

“Resume course for Starbase 74 and keep an eye out for any other distortions,” says Jim, staying planted firmly on the edge of his chair. The course adjustment had driven them deeper into contested territory than he had intended to take them.

“Captain,” Uhura says suddenly, an edge of worry in her voice. “We’re being hailed.”

“Hailed by what? Mr. Spock, anything on your sensors?”

“Nothing, Captain.”

“Tactical?”

“Nothing here, either, sir,” says DeSalle. “Wait--There’s something on the engineering substation--”

“Our course and speed have changed, Captain,” Sulu interrupts. “Heading two-six-one mark nine, warp one-point-five. The helm doesn’t respond. Emergency override unsuccessful. It’s like we’re being towed.”

“Red alert,” Jim says, feeling a surge of adrenaline as the siren rings out.

“Engines are offline,” says DeSalle, hands flying frantically over the substation’s controls. “Rolling power failure all over the ship, sir. Emergency life support’s still active, but Engineering’s completely shut down.”

“Captain,” Spock says urgently. “Visual sensors detecting another distortion, directly above.”

“On screen.”

The main viewscreen shows only empty space at first, but then, Jim sees it -- the tell-tale sign of a cloaked ship at close range, intermittent lensing around the stars. Around all of them. Too big to be a scout. The screen shimmers, and the vessel’s cloak fades out, revealing its enormous hull. It’s a Vulcan warship.

The bridge goes quiet.

“Lieutenant,” Jim says softly. “I think we’d better answer that hail.”

“Initiating ship-to-ship, sir,” she says.

Jim shifts in his chair as the transmission comes through -- a middle-aged Vulcan male, his uniform heavily decorated.

“Federation vessel,” he says, his voice melodic, but measured. “I am Sarek, Grand Admiral of the Vulcan Fleet, Minister of Defense of the Vulcan-Romulan Alliance, commanding the _VRA Tcha-wan._ ”

“It’s a pleasure, Admiral,” Jim says with mock amiability. “Captain James T. Kirk of the Federation Starship _Enterprise._ Why have you taken control of my ship?”

“Your vessel has made an unauthorized entry into VRA space, Captain. You and your crew are now prisoners of the Alliance. To ensure that you do not attempt to engage us, you and two of your officers will transport to the _Tcha-wan_ as hostages until we arrive at Vulcan. You have ten minutes to comply, or your vessel will be considered a security risk and neutralized.”

The transmission terminates before Jim can reply. He allows himself a singular deep breath to form a plan of action, taking in the entire situation, getting his priorities in order. Then, it’s time to get started. “Mr. Riley,” he says, “set a countdown for nine minutes. DeSalle, I’m assuming coms are out in Engineering along with everything else?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Run down there and send Scotty up, then brief security personnel on our situation. Uhura, inform Starfleet Command. Mr. Spock…” Jim turns in his chair toward the science station, but stops in his track when he sees the curious look on Spock’s face - eyes wide, face pale, jaw clenched.

“Captain,” he says, glancing back to the _Tcha-wan,_ looming on the main viewscreen. “I would like to volunteer to accompany you aboard the Vulcan vessel.”

“Mr. Sulu, contact me in the briefing room when that countdown gets to one minute,” Jim orders before turning back to Spock. “Follow me.”

As soon as the turbolift doors shut, he starts right in. “Mr. Spock, I realize your knowledge of the Vulcan language and culture, and your insights into the Alliance regime make you an asset in this situation, but I know very well what you sacrificed to defect. I want you to stay. You’ll be just as valuable on the ship as not. Uhura speaks Vulcan, and I’ll need her over there to try and devise a method of covert communications.”

“It would be unwise to place me in command,” Spock says. “We have just been captured by a Vulcan vessel which _I_ failed to detect.”

“I don’t question your loyalty.”

Spock lowers his voice as they exit the turbolift into the hall and head toward the briefing room. “I have no doubt about that, Jim, but the crew may. Regardless, I should leave the ship. They may have targeted the _Enterprise_ specifically because I am on it.”

Jim shakes his head. “Why now?” he asks, settling in a chair and gesturing for Spock to do the same. “You’ve been with Starfleet for over a decade. Why would they set a trap for the _Enterprise_ just to capture one traitor?”

“Admiral Sarek may feel a certain degree of personal responsibility toward me,” Spock says, his lips thinning with a subtle grimace, “because he is my father.”

**Author's Note:**

> Language notes: Tcha-wan = "Cirrus".


End file.
